


graceless

by ashortrefrain



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Grown Up, Hurt/Comfort, Nonbinary Character, POV Alternating, Sharing a Bed, adult au, i didnt tag major character death bc its like not that dramatic ok, this isnt a slow burn more of a carpet burn from zoomin too fast ykwim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28157478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashortrefrain/pseuds/ashortrefrain
Summary: injured fencing player Adrien Agreste returns to Paris after a skiing accident and bumps into a recently laid off Marinette Dupain-Cheng. They kindle a mutual understanding over their failures. A very hurt/comfort, no magic au!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 32
Kudos: 43





	1. i don't have the sunny side to face this

**Author's Note:**

> am i starting a new fic while i have a wip? yes. do i still not have a beta reader? also yes. im so sorry. Nino is nb in this and will go by they/them and everyone is in their mid-thirties. this fic also has a playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0iIF6YVTEO1IRQgklxkZsR?si=KSdDHOHLT12RHz-xP1NENg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the title of the fic and chapter title come from the song "graceless" by The National

The turbulence woke Adrien first. He expected it to be the offer of snacks or peanuts from flight staff, or even as far late as the captain announcing their landing. Instead, the shake of the flight perturbed him more than the otherwise normal airplane bustling.

The captain came on then, “ _ Apologies, we’re running into some routine turbulence. We’ll be landing in France soon _ .” The intercom cut as the captain switched from Japanese to French, repeating the same message.

Adrien looked out the window, the darkness loomed through the sky, only cut by the lights flashing on the plane’s wings. He curled into the pleather seat just a little bit more, hoping to catch a little bit more sleep before they did land.

He always managed to dream, even if his eyes were only closed for a few minutes. Inevitably the darkness behind his eyes would envelop into the cold white snow. It was everywhere, a flurry in the sky, crunching under his thick-soled boots, even against his bare skin, where his windbreakers ripped apart. He could feel the chill in his bones, goosebumps over every centimeter of skin he had.

There was no pain, but maybe that was the cold too, numbing his wound. He screamed, he heard it echo back at him, mocking him. There was no one out there, that’s why he took this trip, that’s why he would die alone.

Adrien thought of his father in those last few moments, where he was sure death would take hold. Maybe in heaven, his father would be happy to see him. Adrien laughed at the thought that Gabriel was in heaven. He closed his eyes, certain of his fate, letting the cold shut out even the darkness.

This time, Adrien missed the captain’s landing message, instead hearing the quick feet and louder conversations from the passengers and flight attendants. He looked up at the tiny screen in front of him where it simply stated “Welcome to France!”

Waking was always hard, because it meant remembering. Adrien shook himself to his sense and gathered his belongings. Adrien slung the bag over his shoulder and tried to stay out of the way.

He managed to navigate off the plane and out of the airport. It wasn’t until he was in the backseat of a cab headed straight into the city that he turned his phone back on from it’s nearly 14 hour slumber.

He elected to ignore the the stack of notifications from his socials, instead swiping to find Nino’s number.

_ Hey!! It’s still a little too early but I’m running a bit late at my set tonight, sorry! _

_ Tell your cab to drive really slowly, or there’s a bunch of place open on the block you can find a place to squat. _

_ I won’t be long I promise! _

Adrien tried to stifle his groan as he read Nino’s messages. He considered telling the cab to change course to a hotel but by the time Adrien looked up they were already nearing the corner.

_ Let me know when you’re back _

Nino’s reply was instantaneous.

_ Sorry they asked me to cover since the other guy was running late _

_ I’m packing my stuff now, I’ll be there as soon as I can. _

_ Ok, just call when you’re here, I’ll be around _

Adrien took another breath and shut his phone, electing to ignore it until Nino called. __

The building Nino lived in was squished between a corner grocery store and a bar. Adrien looked down the street of random restaurants, some moderately full and even a few that were quite busy despite the time. Adrien looked over his outfit, well coordinated enough to keep him on par with the judgemental eyes of Parisians, but the duffel bag made him look untidy. He decided for a drink instead, pulling open the glass door and walking into the darkness of the bar.

Adrien realized as he walked in that he didn’t look at the name, instead just pushing through and practically stumbling into the front. The establishment was a mix of tables and the bar itself. Adrien would’ve normally taken a table, even for just himself, but the seating area was crowded so he elected against it.

He walked over to the nearly empty bar and took a seat near the end, slinging his bag over the back of the barstool.

A short dark-haired woman seemed to be crouched over the other end from behind one of the coolers. She vaguely peeked her head out from behind the wooden structure and called, “Sorry, just dropped something, I’ll be with you in just a second.”

“No problem,” Adrien laughed. He looked over the glasses and the dim lights glowing underneath them. The music was techno in some way but low enough where Adrien could here the passing conversations of the other patrons. Most were older couples, enjoying dinner with glasses of wine, and Adrien tried not to eavesdrop as the bartender finally stopped in front of him.

“Hello, what can I start you off with?” The woman smiled, her hair was tied in a bun high on her head, pitch black and made the pale of her skin stand out in the dark. She was smiling enough that her eyes crinkled in the corners but they still shone through, sparkling blue at Adrien. They slowly widened as those brilliant blue irises roved over him. “Adrien?”

Adrien was shocked to hear his name from her mouth, “Marinette?” By the way she shivered, it looked like she felt it too when he spoke her’s.

“Sorry, it’s just been a really long time since I saw you. Aside from like, online. You guys did great back during the Olympics,” Marinette pointed out, her shoulders seemed tense from the conversation and Adrien wanted nothing more than for her to feel comfortable.

“Thanks, it’s ok, Marinette. I’m not, expecting you to name all my championship wins or anything ridiculous like that.” Adrien regret not keeping up with Marinette, even though he was friends with her online, or so he assumed. He couldn’t even know for sure, it was so long ago since they were in school.

“Well, let me make you a drink and you can tell me about the wins that matter.” Marinette’s face took on a wicked gleam and Adrien felt a little shocked to see it. As he recalled, Marinette was quite shy in school, especially around him.

“W-well, I guess I’ll have wine?” Adrien shrugged, “Whatever you recommend.”

Marinette licked her lips, her palms flat on the wood surface, “If I didn’t grow up with you, I’d card you.” Her words were curt but held no malice as she smiled, “Is this your first time drinking, Agreste?”

Adrien laughed at that, “At our age, that’d be a sight.”

“Yeah, I’m looking at him,” Marinette scoffed, crossing her arms, “I can make you a drink or pour you a glass of wine. Which would you prefer?”

Adrien pursed his lips as he leaned his elbows on the counter, “I want you to try a drink that you made.”

Was he flirting? He felt his face warm as he said the words but she paid no mind if she noticed. “Alright, do you want something sweet or sour?” Marinette raised an eyebrow like she just shot a volley across a tennis court.

Adrien leaned in on his crossed arms, “Sweet.” he said in a soft voice.

“As you wish,” Marinette smiled and moved to fix his drink. He shamelessly leaned further in, watching her make quick work of flipping a glass onto the rubber mat and filling it with various liquids pouring out of the flip-tops like a chef would stream oil into a pan. She finally dropped a red maraschino cherry, letting it slowly sink to the bottom of the orange and red liquid.

She gracefully slid a napkin down before placing Adrien’s drink down, “Hope it’s not too sweet,” she smiled and drew back.

He didn’t even know whether to mix the drink before taking a sip. The drink bubbled in his mouth and he tasted citrus and the sweet tang of the red syrup before the actual alcohol burned through his mouth. It was better than he could’ve imagined it. “It’s incredible, Marinette, thank you.”

She smiled, “Thanks. I’ve gotta fill out these orders but I’ll be back if you want another one.”

He watched her turn back as he downed half the drink. It fizzed and he enjoyed the warmth as it spread across his throat.

Adrien didn’t know what to make of Marinette bartending for him now. He didn’t think working a job like this was bad, but he knew she had some very focused fashion dreams, even as everyone was applying for university. He recalled her winning awards for her designs, but could only remember the pigeon hat and how it rendered him useless during that photoshoot.

Adrien had already reached the bottom of his glass when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and to his surprising disappointment, it was Nino.

Adrien stole a quick glance at Marinette and the long line of drinks she was fixing before turning back to his phone. For a fraction of a second, Adrien considered writing his number down on a napkin before deciding against it. Instead, he quickly fished his wallet out, dropped a wad of euros, and exited the bar with his bag in tow as he answered Nino’s call.


	2. that must mean i'll live again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the title is off lykke li's song "unrequited love"

A decade ought to be enough time for Marinette to figure out that it would never be that easy. At work where her long hours and late nights still ended with a notice of her termination. All day where she put on another face for another interview only to be rejected, again and again. At love, where even after doing her best to keep her cool, her childhood crush ghosted her when she was at her worst: working the night shift to keep her lights on.

“At least I acted with dignity,” Marinette sighed as she locked the back door. She didn’t even bother with a jacket tonight, temperatures were projected to only go as low as 15°C. Instead, Marinette shuffled out from the back of the bar and walked to the back entrance of the apartment complex. This was where the deliveries happened in the mornings, and it was also the best for Marinette to walk straight from work back to her apartment. She called the elevator and crossed her arms over her chest.

Adrien Agreste. He didn’t strike her as the type to act in such a cruel way. He probably didn’t even intend to, judging by the size of the tip he gave her. Still, coming back to that side of the bar and seeing him gone left an immediate sting in her heart, one that she resolved to mediate with a slice of birthday cake, leftover from one of Nino’s gigs. She leaned her back against the wall as the elevator pushed her up and imagined the cold buttercream melting under her tongue.

In the two and a half years that Marinette lived with Nino, she could say with certain confidence that she could come to expect three things when she came home. One was silence, and that’s the best case scenario. Two was Nino working on mixing at the dinner table, all the lights on and the music blaring from their headphones. Three was the occasional drunk guest. If Nino remembered, they’d text Marinette a warning but by this point, Marinette agreed wholeheartedly that if a friend was too drunk and trying to drive, Nino diverting that situation took priority.

Considering the hour, Nino was probably asleep already, and so Marinette braced herself for option one or three. Marinette unlocked the door and was relieved to see the darkness over the apartment. Drunk guests always left the TV on, too inebriated by the time they drifted to sleep to turn it off. Marinette heard nothing as she slowly closed the door and tiptoed over to the foyer. She dropped off her keys in the catch-all and popped her heels off her feet.

She made quick work of walking to the kitchen and grabbing the cake from the fridge. Box in hand, Marinette contemplated cutting herself a slice before weighing the pastry in her hand and deciding it was just enough for one portion. She carefully dug a fork out from the drawer and scurried over to eat on the couch.

Marinette almost screamed when she walked into the living room. She flicked the light switch with her elbow and got three steps in before she noticed a familiar head of curly blonde hair moving on the couch.

“Oh shit, sorry,” Marinette moved to turn off the light but it was too late. Adrien already sat up and she could see realization dawn on his face.

“Marinette?” he sat up and blinked at her. Perhaps in the dark of night with just the glowing bar lights, he didn’t have to see how she aged, but there was no denying that time passed between them now. It wasn’t just her, she could see how his jaw was more defined, his face was more mature in general. He was bulkier than his teenage self, and though his arms weren’t toned like the model he was in years past, she could see the strength in his body.

Marinette could piece together the circumstances by which her childhood crush was laid out on her couch fairly easily. She lived with his best friend, after all. No, what shocked her more was how devastatingly handsome this man still was. She willed herself to stay calm as she asked, “should I shut this off?” She pointed at the light above.

He shook his head, eyes wide as he waved at her. It took a second for Marinette to realize he was urging her to sit with him.

This was a bad idea, Marinette would’ve sat rigidly on the couch if the worn leather didn’t lean into her weight. She suddenly felt self conscious, her thighs were pooling on the seat, her belly was rolling and the black clothes she had as a bar uniform had stains splattered across them. She tried to shrink into the couch after she placed the cake box on the table.

“I should’ve known there was something suspicious about you coming into where I work instead of some luxurious hotel bar.” Marinette laughed, turning to watch Adrien as he lounged on the other side of the couch. His pillow and blanket were pushed against his back and she recognized the quilt as the one she gave Nino last year made from all her scrap fabric.

Adrien returned the laugh, “I’m sorry for leaving, Nino was whining that it was cold outside.” She noted his body language was open for her, his chest wide and shoulders relaxed, but he was avoiding her point.

“Speaking of,” Marinette pulled a wad of cash from her pocket, the change from Adrien’s order specifically. She pushed the wad toward him with concerted effort.

“What?” Adrien sat up, closing the distance between them by just a bit, but then he was leaning in and pushing the money back towards her, “That was for you.”

She pushed back, her knuckles now against his sternum, “Do you pity me?”

Her voice was shaky, but they cut through Adrien’s expression, “What?”

“Is this,” Marinette’s balled fist tightened around the bills, “your pity for me?”

“It’s not pity,” Adrien’s hand was gentle over her’s, “I just wanted you to have it. If it makes you this uncomfortable, I’ll take it back, but I don’t pity you, Marinette.”

Her jaw clenched as she searched his face. There was an immediate tenderness his eyes took, his eyelids soft like a fleece blanket pulled up over his green irises. Underneath was something raw, something she couldn’t read as well. But nothing about the man before her said he was telling anything but the truth. “Fine.”

She shoved the money back into her pocket with a resigned sigh, “So why are you sleeping on our couch instead of some fancy hotel?”

“Nino offered, I’m sorry,” Adrien seemed to relaxed, his head now leaning against the cushion, “It’ll just be for a few days while I find a place. I basically have to rebuild my life and Nino thought it’d be best I do that with their help.”

Marinette nodded, she recalled his father’s death a few years ago. It shook the fashion world and she could only imagine how it affected his sentimental son, “I’m sorry for your loss,” she spoke quietly, not wanting to overwhelm him.

“Thanks, I guess. But that’s not what I meant.” Adrien licked his lips.

Marinette sat back up and turned to look at him, her knee was pressed to his as she spoke, “Wait. So you’re not here for a competition or something?” Nothing he said was making any sense.

Adrien blinked up at her, “I guess the news will reach here eventually, though I hope no one listens to the tabloids.” He bent down and reached for the bottom pant of his left leg. “I was playing hooky at a resort in Italy. Great skiing mountains, Gabriel used to take me as a kid, usually right before but sometimes right after Milan’s fashion week. It felt nostalgic but also like I was betraying my dad by going without him, maybe it was the vengeful ghost of my father that hurt me. Regardless, I was alone, and eventually my coach figured out I was gone for way longer than was right. By the time they bothered with the phone GPS, I already accepted that I was going to die.”

Marinette stared at the metal where his calf used to be. She had a thought that she ought to look away, or say something mindful in response to Adrien’s words, but all she could think of was how painful it must have been.

“I’m lucky, and I know that.” Adrien let his pant fall back over his leg, “Physically, I’m fine. They make these things run so efficiently. It’s the acclimating myself back to society part. They said I was in the cold for half a day, and I spent weeks in the hospital, just thinking about those twelve brutal hours.”

Marinette, on some impulse, held his hand then. For a split-second she worried it was inappropriate, but Adrien squeezed her palm then. She looked up at his soft smile and something was clawing away at the apex of her heart, “How long has Nino known?”

“I didn’t want to bother anyone, and my coach was doing his best to keep the media from finding out. He didn’t even tell my teammates until a few weeks had passed and I was more stable.” Adrien frowned, looking over past Marinette’s shoulder, “I didn’t know how to tell anyone anyways. It was too much, I didn’t want to burden anyone. I told them maybe a week before my flight. Nino insisted I stay with them while I adjust.”

Adrien definitely didn’t notice that his other hand was rubbing circles over the back of her hand. Marinette wasn’t going to tell him, “I’m glad they did. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re alive and recovered. It’s good to see you again.” She smiled up at him.

Adrien stared at her, all that softness replaced with something sharp and intense, but no less tender. “Thank you.” His words were slow and deliberate.

She could feel her hands start to sweat, “Are you staying long? When are you gonna go back?”

Adrien hummed, “I may never pick up a rapier again, to be honest.”

“Why? Is it your injury?”

“No, I could do it if I wanted to, eventually, but I don’t. That’s the thing. I don’t want to do this anymore, travelling and escaping and feeling like nowhere is home. That bag I brought is everything I have.” Adrien exhaled through his nostrils. “I’m looking for a place to stay, not just for the next week or month, but for as long as I can.”

Marinette nodded, thinking of her parents in the bakery. They were an anchor for her, even if she hasn’t lived at home for almost a decade. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks for letting me stay here.” Adrien looked down at their hands for the first time, a silence stretched between them. They were teetering on some line that neither of them seemed to want to acknowledge.

Adrien looked back up at her, “What about you? What happened after University?”

Marinette considered lying. She considered telling part of the truth, but that’s all she’s shelled out since things fell apart. She looked up at Adrien and sighed.

She grounded herself in his hands and started thinking back to where it all started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 15 C is about 60 fahrenheit
> 
> i finished this story so ill be releasing the rest of the chapters once a day. ive got them queued up im ready, merry christmas


	3. after everything, left in the sun, shivering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title from the song "heavy feet" by local natives

Adrien didn’t expect to spill out the contents of his injury to Marinette like that. God, it felt like he just threw up all over her and somehow she was still looking up at him with those wide blue eyes, holding his hands like they were precious things.

Marinette spoke quietly as she circled her fingers over his knuckles, “I had a significant following on Instagram under this Ladybug pseudonym. One of my early concepts gained traction, a suit of armor, fitted on a woman with the spaulders like a pair of ladybugs. It was just a side project while I was completing my MBA. But then I was completing orders on my other designs. Suddenly, I was selling out on items and I had to schedule restocks and drops and a new server for the website.”

Marinette bit her lip, “I couldn’t believe it when I got offers to buy up the brand. I rejected everyone including Gabriel.”

Hearing his Dad’s name from her mouth was like a stone dropping in the pit of his stomach, “My dad?”

Marinette nodded, not yet meeting his eyes, “It was probably someone under him who made the offer. Not only would they shell out for _Ladybug_ , they’d hire me as a Junior Director. It was definitely the most lucrative offer, but I ended up going with a more indie label. They offered me partial ownership of the whole brand and allowed me to keep Ladybug as a subsidiary of the brand.”

Adrien whistled, “That’s fantastic, Marinette.”

“I couldn’t turn them down. But maybe I should have.” Marinette wistfully spoke, “I came in and I saw just how much of a disaster everything was. Nothing was what it seemed, and they wanted to use my following to fix everything.”

Adrien tilted his head, “What do you mean?”

Marinette closed her eyes and sighed, “The lease was well overdue on the building we were in, the office downsized to a pile of desks on the production floor. We were backdue with so many vendors that we were running out of materials to fufill orders. It was mismanaged before I got there and all of it inevitably failed within my first year.”

“Oh no, Marinette.” Adrien knew, he could recall the number of failed labels that seemed so full of promise. Even after a few years of good sales, a brand could come crashing down so quickly.

“I’ve been applying to jobs ever since. I picked up bartending as a hobby to serve my friends at parties before, so I figured it’s a good gig to cover my expenses while I try to restart my life.”

“What about the account? Ladybug, all those followers.” Adrien frowned.

“Company property. It’s all gone now.” Marinette shook her head, “It’s so funny, that was my only account. I posted my friends along with my designs, and I lost it all.”

Adrien let go of Marinette’s hands and pushed forward to give her a gentle hug. “I’m so sorry, Marinette.”

Marinette laughed into his chest, her arms wrapping around his back, “You definitely experienced a worse thing than I did. Why are you apologizing to me?”

Adrien huffed, his hand brushing her hair down and it was so surprisingly soft under his palm, “It’s not a competition.”

Marinette laughed more, and Adrien savored the sound of it through his chest. She pulled back first and looked up at him through her eyelashes as she said, “Thank you, Adrien.”

He wasn’t sure what he did but he nodded anyway. “Can I ask you something?”

Marinette blinked, cautiously. “Sure.”

“What’s in there?” Adrien pointed at the box on the coffee table. He was sure it was a dessert, judging by the string tied around it and the fork Marinette placed over it. He was his father’s son, even in his adulthood and maintaining a conversational balance was something he still managed well.

“Let me get you a fork, you have to try this cake Nino brought back.” Marinette sat up and gave his shoulder a squeeze on her way around to the kitchen. He watched her hair flounce behind her. When they were young he remembered it skirting her shoulders for the most part. Even her fringe style matured, no longer a straight line across her brows but longer accents to her face, drawing his attention to the way it filled in with time. No longer were her features so sharp as they were before, instead rounded out and softer somehow. It seemed, Adrien noted as Marinette walked back with another fork and two glasses of milk, that time was exceptionally kind to Marinette.

“This was some kind of caramel cake for someone’s birthday and it’s so rich, try it.” Marinette popped the box open and a slice that was almost too big for one person sat sadly, almost leaning to one side. It was bright yellow with thick layers of cream and Adrien had never seen something so appetizing. “It looks bad but trust me, it’s so good.”

Adrien did as she requested and found her words to be true. They took turns swiping chunks of sponge and frosting onto their forks, passing the box back and forth between sips of milk.

He never wanted this night to end, Marinette on the couch with him, eating leftover cake after opening up his heart in a way he hadn’t in a long time.

He washed their dishes as Marinette broke the box down and shoved it into the recycling bin. When she smiled up at him under the dim kitchen light, he almost bent down to kiss her. He could imagine tasting the frosting off her lips.

“Goodnight,” Adrien crashed onto the leather couch and pulled the blanket up over his shoulder.

Marinette gave him one last smile as she flicked the light switch off, “Goodnight, Adrien.”

He watched her walk off into the dark, down the hall and presumably to her room. He wondered if he’d ever get to see it before drifting off to sleep.

The sun was beaming down as if everything was normal. He could imagine people enjoying the wondrous shine as they walked around the resort. The weather today was otherwise exceptional, if he weren’t paralyzed by fear he might even say it was the best day of the year.

That was it, wasn’t it? Adrien had always managed to ruin everything, his bad luck worse than any stormcloud imaginable. He hurled his voice into the sky and all it did was bounce across the mountaintops, under that unforgiving sunlight.

His breathing was slowing down, he wondered if his heart rate was too. His phone was somewhere in the forest, flying from the pocket he tucked it into and with his leg the way it was, he knew it was as good as gone.

When the helicopter broke through the rays of sunshine, he knew he was dreaming. No, it wasn’t until the sun had made yellow and orange blotches in the sky that help finally arrived. It was much colder, Adrien recalled as the service worker pulled his body onto the stretcher. He let himself dream of salvation, what could’ve been if he had only been found sooner.


	4. all my scars are golden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title from "kintsugi" by gabrielle aplin

The sun still had yet to break across the horizon when Marinette’s alarm went off. She groaned and debated sleeping in. She was unemployed after all.

Her eyes snapped open at the thought of Adrien still sprawled out on her couch. She wanted to preen under his attention at all time, absorb the warmth from his hands as they passed over her arms, across her shoulders, down her back.

God, she was in real danger of embarrassing herself while he was here. She sat up and looked at herself through the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her part was entirely lopsided and she could make out a few knots she’d have to detangle later. She checked her phone and decided she had time to shower.

She skirted past the living room on her way to the bathroom and peeked over to the couch. Adrien was out cold, his face buried into the pillow and blanket haphazardly over his body. His left leg was uncovered and hooked over the back of the couch, Marinette almost took a picture, it was so cute.

She managed to keep herself in line, washing herself and tiptoeing back to her room. Her robe was long and covered nearly every inch of her body but she wanted to be sure he didn’t see her like this. Post-bar shift was bad enough.

When she finally emerged from her room, she was interview-ready. Her white button down was crisply tucked into her pencil skirt. She sprayed down the portion of her tights that rubbed between her thighs with hairspray and prayed there would be no runs. Her hair was styled with a slight curl at the end and she had a hound’s tooth oversized blazer that she tailored over her shoulders. 

“He’s still dead asleep so you can wipe that lipstick off,” Nino greeted her as she walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Nino, you’re up early.” Marinette grabbed the pot of coffee Nino fixed and poured herself a mug.

“I had a nightmare you two were hooking up on the couch while I slept in.” Nino flipped a buttered piece of bread on the pan and Marinette resisted the urge to smack their shoulder.

“You could’ve texted me, you know? I almost had a heart attack when I came home last night.” Marinette stirred in the sugar and reached for the milk as she spoke.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Nino looked up at her remorsefully, “I might quit that club for how much they’re running me into the ground.”

“Really?” Marinette took a sip of her drink as she leaned against the counter, “Is it the late nights?”

“Late nights that I can schedule are fine. It’s part of the job. But late nights that come out of nowhere, late nights that get later and later.” Nino sighed, sliding the toast off the pan and onto a plate, “I could do that when I was ten years younger. Now? It just hurts.”

Marinette heartily laughed before remembering that Adrien was still asleep. “We’re so old,” she whispered.

Nino grabbed the plate and their own mug of coffee and walked over to the living room, “The baby is awake, after all.”

“Is this for me?” Adrien pointed at the plate. Nino sat next to him on the couch and Marinette was left with the lounge chair to the side. She knew Nino was messing with her and cursed them silently.

Marinette balanced her drink and the butter dish in both hands, willing neither to spill, “not all of it, please.” She placed them both on the table and watched Adrien smile up at her. 

“I’ll try,” Adrien grabbed a piece of toast and took an ugly bite. His hair was a solid mass on his head, fluffy and seemingly suspended above him.

“It’s just bread,” Nino laughed, reaching for a slice and spreading a light pat of butter across.

“God, didn’t those hurt?” Adrien grabbed Nino’s forearm, staring down at the sleeve of tattoos along their skin.

“I told you this last night, it varies. I’ll take you to my favorite shop once you get out of our apartment.” Nino playfully shoved Adrien off with a smile.

“Where’s the remote?” Marinette wanted to think of anything but Adrien tattooed up. She looked down at her watch, “It’s almost 7.”

“Oh right,” Nino sat up and grabbed the remote from the table. “Let’s see, let’s see,” Nino hummed, flipping through the channels.

Marinette smiled as soon as they reached the news. The station logo flashed over the screen as a bright, poppy tune played. The camera zoomed over the desk and panned over to Alya, her hair pulled into a neat updo and her face serious as she greeted all of France. “Good morning,” Alya started, her voice executive and her face stoic behind the screen.

“Good morning,” Marinette said back to the TV. She took another bite and ignored the look Nino gave her.

“Alya?” Adrien’s eyes were wide, even as they cut to one of the pre-recorded news segments.

“Welcome back to France, if I didn’t know better I’d say that you were living under a rock.” Nino laughed.

“Sorry, I should use my socials more, then I’d know a lot more about everyone’s successes.” Adrien sheepishly replied.

Marinette scoffed, “It’s just Alya. She’s on the big screen, living out her dreams. I wouldn’t dare post anything about my terrible job hunting.”

“Yeah, I’m still trying to ‘make it’ past just a local nightclub DJ.” Nino huffed, “I would say Alya is the exception not the rule. The rest of us are failures.”

“I am too now!” Adrien groaned, running his hand over his face, “I’m a retired fencing player with a permanent disability.”

“I would kill to see you tweet that from your verified account.” Marinette laughed and Adrien shot her a smile back.

“You follow me on Twitter?” Adrien's smile was so wide and Marinette tried not to blush.

“Yeah, she runs a stan account.” Nino snickered and that earned them a pillow to the face, “Just kidding, just kidding!”

“I don’t have a twitter anymore, anyways. Now that _Ladybug_ is a dead and gone brand, I haven’t even thought to remake my social media accounts.” Marinette sighed, “I think my website is the only thing I have, and I turned that into a copy of my resume.”

“You should open new accounts, you’re making stuff again.” Nino commented, “Hell, half the stuff in this apartment _you_ made.”

“Really?” Adrien asked, his eyes wide.

Nino nodded, “That blanket you curled up to like a baby kitten is all the love in Marinette’s heart.”

“Baby kitten is redundant,” Marinette shot back, fighting to keep a straight face. Nino was trying to kill her and it was unfortunately working.

“Maybe that’s why it was so comfortable.” Adrien hummed, seemingly oblivious to the plight Marinette was facing.

“Were you extra warm, Adrien?” Nino elbowed Adrie and snickered at the blush that bloomed across his face.

Marinette sat up, switching the conversation to spare what was left of her dignity, “I have an interview at 10 so let me know if there’s anything you all want for lunch, I can bring it on my way back.” She reached over to pile their dishes into a stack.

“I should be back around then, I’m teaching a class this morning.” Nino followed suit, between the two of them, they carried all the dishes in their arms.

“Teach?” Adrien called as they shuffled down to the kitchen.

“Oh, I substitute every now and then. Very few people that can actually teach music.” Nino leaned against the opening between the kitchen and living room. “I’ll text you when I’m coming back but just in case you need to get back in, do you have Marinette’s number?”

Marinette froze with her hands in the sink. She couldn’t see Adrien but she heard Nino call back to her “Give him your number, Marinette.”

She shut the water off and sighed. Of course he didn’t have her number, he probably didn’t even have the number that she had saved in her phone. That was from way before, probably for a group project or something she couldn’t even remember.

Marinette walked over and sat next to Adrien on the couch. He definitely tidied the area up while she washed the dishes, the blanket was rolled up and the cushions looked freshly fluffed. She opened up her phone and gave him her number.

“Ok, now text me so I have yours.” She looked down at her screen, awaiting Adrien’s number to show up on her screen.

When the notification popped up, she opened it and found Adrien’s name tacked onto the message.

“Am I still in your phone?” Adrien looked up at Marinette and she felt a rolling wave of embarrassment wash over her.

“Oh, I don’t know, I guess I never got rid of it.” Marinette laughed and hoped it didn’t come out too awkwardly, “Wow, that’s crazy that you have the same number after all these years.”

Adrien was looking at her with wide eyes, his expression searching for something within her’s.

“Most people don’t get rid of their perfectly good cell numbers.” Nino chimed in, leaning back on the lounge chair now that their spot on the couch was taken. “Anyways, call me first, just in case she gets hired on the spot.”

“I appreciate that you still have faith in me,” Marinette laughed. “I’ll be on my way then, I’m going to use the printer at that coffee shop on the other side of town since we’re all out of ink here.”

“The order will get here any day now,” Nino quipped, “Tell my ex I said hi.”

“I won’t” Marinette said on her way out. She could hear Adrien’s laughter from the hallway. She savored the thought that he’d still be there when she got back.

She thought of different foods she wanted to eat with Adrien and tried to keep her heart from bursting out of her chest.


	5. i cant be anything i was before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title comes from "i crush everything" by jonathan coulton

_Adrien,_

The email was more off-putting because of how informally it started, Just his name, nothing else.

_We hope this email finds you well. After your father’s passing, the Gabriel brand has suffered crippling losses._

It took a number of long winded paragraphs to get to what this email was trying to convey.

_We are in search through Gabriel’s rolodex for a new creative director to head the brand. As we understand, there were certain personal effects that were relinquished to your control entirely. If there are any contacts Gabriel mentioned, please consider forwarding us their contact information._

Adrien almost jumped when he saw the CEO print his name on the signature. He googled it just to make sure this wasn’t a prank.

“They must be desperate to come to me,” Adrien laughed sourly. He sold his shares in _Gabriel_ that he inherited with the man’s passing almost immediately. 

He didn’t want to get sucked into a fashion company when he had no real skills in the matter. He had no place designing anything, a taste in fashion did not translate to a sense of what to make that was fashionable. He had no practical business skill, and he was still actively pursuing fencing at the time.

Adrien shook his head, returning to his tabs where he had apartments open on his laptop.

Marinette clambered back with a bag of bao buns in tow. Her hair was pinned up and when she sat down next to him at the kitchen table, he resisted the urge to kiss her neck now that it was exposed to him.

She grabbed a roast pork bun and sighed as she took a bite.

“How’d it go?” Adrien asked between bites.

“I don’t know. I always _think_ I do well, and then I either never hear back or I get a generic rejection email.” Marinette groaned, “I need to apply to more jobs, that was my only interview this week.”

Her face still had those sparkles that Adrien had to tear his eyes away from. Her eyes looked sharper with eyeshadow, neutral browns created more depth in her crease and she definitely highlighted all of her features well. He already felt like she was so intimidatingly pretty, and then she pulled her hair out of it’s updo with her clean hand. Watching her hair fall in black waves down her back sent a shiver through Adrien’s body. He wanted to pull her by the waist onto his lap and bury his nose into her hair, nuzzle her neck through those wavy black curls.

But the woman before him needed comfort, so he put his hand cautiously on her shoulder and rubbed it with his thumb, “You’re doing great, Marinette. It’ll all work out. I know right now it seems like it won’t, but you’re too talented for something to _not_ work out.”

The soft look Marinette’s eyes took perhaps broke some of his cautious hesitations. He slid his hand from her shoulder, down her back, and pet her as if he were tracing her latissimus dorsi muscle with his palm. 

“You haven’t even seen my designs,” Marinette laughed a half-protest.

He finished off the remainder of his bun, “Show me.”

“What?” She was still only halfway done, her mouth nearly full as she replied, “Really?”

“Yeah, of course. I’d love to see what you made.”

Marinette shook her head, “I only sketched some stuff.”

Adrien blinked, “That’s still making something.”

Through her lashes, she cautiously eyed him, like he might be lying to her. He hoped she could see that he was genuine, “Ok, hold on.” She took one last tear out of her bun and put it down. She walked past Adrien and once again, squeezed her hand over his shoulder as she made her way to her room.

“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Marinette hummed as she walked back, a wide sketchbook in her hands. 

“No such thing,” Adrien tried to peek at the page she had open and looked up at Marinette, “Can I?” His hands hovered over the book.

Marinette chewed her lip as she finally handed the item over. Adrien turned it in his hands and absorbed what he was seeing. The first thing Adrien noticed was how clean and clear Marinette’s sketches were. There was a strong understanding of anatomy under the imaginary drapes of fabric. This piece was flowy for a blouse, fitting a body large and wide. It was feminine for the muscular person underneath and he loved it all the more for it.

“Marinette, holy shit.” Adrien huffed, "do you bring these to your interviews?”

“Some of them. If it’s over the phone there’s not much I can do, you know?”

“Marinette, whoever is smart enough to hire you is going to be so happy they did.” He carefully handed the book back, “Thank you for letting me look.”

Marinette clutched it to her chest, “Thanks, Adrien.” She gnawed on her lip, “Do you want to see what I have pinned to my dress form?”

Adrien smiled, “Yes.” He sat up and followed her down the narrow hall where he saw her scurry last night. He imagined following her here, he didn’t expect it to be so soon, and in this way.

The room wasn’t big, her bed was pressed against one wall and the rest was an open space. Presumably for her to work on ironing or draping. She put the sketchbook down on the desk and pulled a white dress form from the corner.

The first thing that Adrien noticed was how bright the blue fabric Marinette chose to use. The white trim running across the hem drew the eyes to all the finer details, the darts neatly tucked and the buttons all evenly aligned.

“I kind of went back to the concept of historical fashion but really twisting the gendered elements.” Marinette twisted the bodice around, “I don’t like the idea of a bulky military jacket with a flowy skirt. I think the two pieces ought to compliment each other.”

“You made this?” Adrien knew it was a dumb question, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Yeah, mostly with that old thing,” Marinette pointed to the sewing machine on her desk, “But the eyelets, the buttons, I did by hand. The detailed stuff I don’t trust a machine, even though mine is supposed to be really gentle.”

“No, I love it. This is really good, Marinette.” Adrien looked back at Marinette and caught the warm smile on Marinette’s face, flush with pride. “Can I see more?”

Marinette’s eyes widened and a hopeful expression dawned on her face. She smiled and moved to open the closet door.

And that was how Nino found them, Adrien seated in Marinette’s rolling chair, the woman herself pulling pieces from her closet over the years she’s designed. She was in the middle of explaining her ballerina phase when Nino knocked on the door frame.

“Sorry to interrupt your lecture, professor.” Nino smiled at Adrien jumping in his seat at the sound of their voice, “Don’t you work a shift tonight”

Marinette nodded, folding the tulle piece in her arms, “That’s right.”

“Adrien, what time is it?” Nino asked without breaking eye contact with Marinette.

“Uh, oh it’s 15:30 already.” Adrien hummed.

“You’re kidding me,” Marinette hauled the pile of tulle into her arms and attempted to shove it back into the drawer, “I was gonna shower too, ugh.”

“This hunk of idiot really distracted you since lunch?” Nino smiled, “you’re losing it, Marinette.”

“Shut up,” Marinette finally managed to slam the drawer shut. “Adrien, thanks for entertaining me, but can I please ask you to leave so I can get ready for work?”

“Is he your patron? Why are you being so polite?” Nino quipped smartly and Marinette sharply turned to them.

“Get out, Nino, before I hurt you for real.” Marinette shoved them back with a smile, “Sorry, Adrien, I really do need to get ready.”

Adrien quickly sat up, “No, not at all! Thank you for your time, Marinette.”

“She already had her interview, Agreste, stop with the formalities already!” Nino yelled from the hallway.

Adrien couldn’t help it. He gave Marinette a smile and she returned one of her own before closing the door behind him.

“Get over here, you love-sick idiot. You’re cramping her space.” Nino managed to get him out of the corner where Marinette’s bedroom was tucked away. He tried to focus on the dinner options Nino was offering but his mind drifted to Marinette. Getting ready for another shift at the bar when he saw her designs, real as his own flesh and blood. Well, what was left of his flesh and blood, anyways.

He thought and he thought until even Nino accepted there was nowhere to go with him. They ordered take-out while Adrien brooded at the table.


	6. if i want your love, got to open up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title from "pure love" by hayley williams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> re-posting bc the format on the first update was way off, sorry about that!!

Sometimes the shifts were bad, like they were the night Adrien came in. The guest list was short, the tips tended to be low, and the feeling that Marinette was wasting her time hung like a ghost lingering above her head. Somehow, those were the days she got stuck with washing the dishes as well, hands scalding under the hot tap.

But some days were easy. Today, she opened the bar and a steady stream of customers kept her mind occupied. She made easy conversation and wiped the bar down once before getting called back for a refill or to close a tab. Easy, like a game.

Maybe it was the thought that Adrien was just a few floors above her, in the building right next to her’s. The fact that he was always listening to her like each word occupied some valuable space in his mind. He attracted her to him too, she didn’t notice how close her seat was to his until their knees bumped. She always felt a warmth pool in her stomach with his casual touches.

Maybe she should say something. He would be off their couch soon based on his conversations with realtors, and it sounded like he was excited to move and start a new life. Maybe she could fit into that, somehow.

It was a question she resolved to answer later, her first priority ought to be a new job. She tried to control her heart pounding in her chest, even as she made her way back home after closing. When she unlocked the door, she heard the TV on full blast.

“Oh,” Marinette kicked off her shoes and ripped her coat off as she ran into the living room. “What are you guys watching?”

“I don’t know some artsy film.” Adrien waved it off.

“I love movie night,” Marinette tossed her coat onto the chair, “Pardon,” she shimmied through and squished herself between Adrien and Nino on the couch.

“She always does this,” Nino huffed, adjusting to Marinette’s presence on the couch.

“What?” Adrien brought a bowl of popcorn over for Marinette to have some.

“Thanks, Adrien.” Marinette beamed up at him before returning her attention to the movie. Some family dinner was happening but the tense conversation offered little in terms of context clues.

“Third wheeling my dates,” Nino reached over and grabbed a handful of popcorn as well, “This one girl even asked me if Marinette was single.”

“And you told her I was married.” Marinette said, matter-of-factly. She was trying to figure out why the mother character was now yelling, but it was hard with Nino’s whining.

“Are you?” Adrien asked. When Marinette looked up at him his eyes were so wide and focused on just her.

“No.” She stated. Before she could act on the rising tide of feeling in her chest, there was more screaming on the screen.

The rest of the movie carried on as Marinette polished off the popcorn. She shook her head at the ending and turned to Adrien to comment before Nino shushed them to turn on the director's commentary.

After what must have been five minutes of the interview, Marinette was dead asleep. The darkness overtook her and in just the glowing light of the TV, she couldn’t resist the ache in her muscles from her last shift.

When she came to, Nino had left them alone on the couch. She was leaning on Adrien’s shoulder, she could feel him tense up as she moved. Her cheek was pressed into a wet spot on Adrien’s shirt that was definitely just her drool.

“Marinette?” Adrien was nothing more than a dark figure and a voice. She shook her head and tried to shake the sleep from her eyes as she woke up.

“I drooled on you, I’m sorry.” She mumbled. Her hand was over his shoulder, feeling around where she grossly slobbered over him.

“It’s ok, Marinette. You’re fine.” Adrien held her wrist to keep her from touching it anymore.

“What time is it?” Mariette searched for her phone, fishing it out from her back pocket.

“Midnight. You should go to sleep, Marinette.” Adrien let go of her arm and shifted to give her space so that she could sit up. She stretched her legs out and stood up.

When she stood she yawned, her arms stretching above her head. She wanted nothing more than to change and crawl into bed. She tucked the phone back into her pocket before turning to face Adrien.

Now that her eyes were adjusted in the dark, she could see him staring up at her, eyes bright even in the night. She wanted to touch his face, his features so tender and his skin looking so soft and inviting. She slowly brought a hand up and touched the corner of his jaw with just her pointer finger.

“Come to bed with me.” The words spoken clear as a bell. She watched his eyes widen and said it again, “Come to bed with me, Adrien.”

His inhale was sharp, and he slowly brought his hand up to touch her hand, as if to confirm it was really her touching him and asking that of him. He nodded, sitting up and suddenly towering Marinette while holding her hand gently in his.

She led him down the hallway to her room and tried to keep her heart from stopping on the way. He tugged at her arm and she suddenly had the fear that he changed his mind. She immediately stopped and looked back at him. “Brush my teeth,” was all he said and Marinette nearly barked out a laugh if it wasn’t so late.

“You go first, I have to change anyway.” Marinette giggled. She really hoped he didn’t change his mind.

They parted at the intersection between her door and the bathroom. Marinette made quick work of pulling her bar outfit off and throwing her pajamas, which were little more than sweats and an old too big T shirt, on.

She opened the door once she heard Adrien rinsing his toothbrush. She traded places with him after exchanging a quick glance in the mirror.

He beamed at her and she smiled warmly back, “I’ll see you inside.”

He hummed from behind her, as if contemplating something. Marinette kept her hands busy, pushing a perfect pearl of toothpaste out of the tube. Adrien nodded, taking a step forward to kiss the crown of her head, and then disappearing in the dark.

Marinette sighed, she had to admit the excitement of having Adrien in her room was akin to the bubbling excitement of her first crush. Except despite the fact that Adrien was the same man in either case, the circumstances couldn’t be any more different. This Adrien was real, and he was funny and all the more charming in conversation. She switched and brushed along her left side as she thought of the ways she held herself back as a child, never even giving Adrien a chance to be with her. She was doomed to fail from the start.

She washed the makeup off her face and looked up at her reflection one last time. With all her pores and wrinkles, she still looked good. Dark hair framing her face, and even under the bathroom lights, she was decently pretty. She didn’t feel apprehension that Adrien would see her at her most base, she instead felt her stomach doing flips at the thought that Adrien was in her room, waiting for her.

In the dark, she could only see his silhouette under the covers. “I can switch if you want to be on this side.” Adrien spoke softly but assuredly as Marinette crossed the room.

“No, it doesn’t matter. Stay.” She replied, crawling into the space he left. She pushed herself up and leaned into Adrien, her head against his neck and her knees touching his thighs. 

“Thank you, Marinette.” Adrien sighed, his hand in her hair.

“Mhmm,” Marinette hummed, sleep already half-pulling her in.

She thought she heard him say goodnight, or even laughed at her but his body was so warm. She was asleep before she could say anything more comprehensible.


	7. there's no plan, there's no race to be run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title from hozier's "no plan"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xmas eve is always mad busy for me and I wanted to make sure this chapter got out so im releasing this chapter early. last one will be updated tmrw morning, thank u all so much for reading & engaging im so so so grateful thank you

Adrien could hardly sleep. Marinette was so small against his side, he didn’t want to crush her. He kept waking and feeling her warmth against his body and going through the same cycle of shock as when she first asked him to share this bed with her. It was still unbelievable to him, that she would even ask him that, that she was always looking at him with this wonderous tenderness.

When he woke again, she was awake as well. Her body was a little higher up against the pillows and she was looking down at him. He immediately leaned in, burying his nose into the crook of her neck.

“Good morning,” he breathed against her skin. He felt her hand reach up to scratch the back of his neck, fingers tangling with the hairs there.

“Good morning,” Marinette sighed. He snaked one hand around her waist and pulled her closer.

“Did you sleep well?” Adrien mumbled, his brain still half asleep.

“I did, and you?” Marinette continued her lazy movements, her hand moving up to scratch his hair along his scalp.

“The best,” Adrien could feel Marinette’s heart beat under her skin. He pulled back and looked up at her, the way her hair swirled around her head, a black halo between them. “What’s your email address?”

“What?” Marinette snorted, her face now centimeters from his, “What are you on about this early in the morning?”

“ _ Gabriel _ is looking for a creative director, they’re asking me for anyone my dad might have known.” Adrien tried to explain, “You’re so talented, Marinette. The least I can do is put you in front of these people.”

“Creative director for  _ Gabriel _ , the international fashion house that your late father founded?” Marinette’s eyes were wider than saucers, “Do I look like Karl Lagerfeld?”

“You’re much prettier than him,” Adrien beamed, “Let me forward your portfolio. I’m not making any promises either, I don’t know what they’re looking for. The last time I dressed myself must have been two years ago and in fashion time that’s a decade of changes.”

Marinette snorted at that, “Fine. I’ll send it to you later, on one condition.”

Adrien cocked his head, “What’s that?”

“Don’t move too far.” Marinette’s eyes flitted between his eyes and his lips, he could feel her gaze over his skin, “Stay in Paris, stay in this neighborhood even.”

“I’m not going anywhere yet.” Adrien brought his hand up to Marinette’s cheek, “You’re gonna have to show me around. That bar is the only place I know here.”

“I’d love to,” Marinette smiled, her hand reaching up to cup his jaw. He melted at her touch, rubbing his cheek against her palm. “That tickles, your stubble.” Marinette giggled.

“What, this?” Adrien smiled, running his chin against her hand before turning to kiss it. He kissed a line down her arm and her giggles turned to a gasp as he hooked her back into his arms.

She hummed as her arms wound around his neck. Side to side, they collided, mouths meeting for a brief kiss. The second sweeter than the first. The next ones burning hotter still. He couldn’t get enough, her lips were so impossibly soft, the stifled noise at the back of her throat made him want to move in any way that would draw the sound out. He heard her laugh again and drew back enough to look at her through hazy eyes.

“Your stubble,” she wheezed, rubbing her chin where they must’ve met between kisses. “Let me try again.”

She was smiling when they kissed again. It never ended, the kissing, the way her hands slid up his front as her lips kept moving, devouring him. He tried to keep up, one hand pushing up her back and tangling with her hair, the other tightening around her waist, pressing their bodies together. He gasped into her mouth when she swung her leg over his hip. She just twisted her head and kept going, and he could only follow behind her frantic movements. He traced the line of her thigh over his side, his palms burning as she hummed against his lips.

“You need to shave.” She pulled back harshly and despite her debauched tone, smiled toothily.

That made Adrien laugh, he was howling despite his hand still on Marinette’s thigh and her hands over his chest. “You’re the best.”

“I know.” Marinette winked and Adrien relished in her playful antics.

He pushed his hand up to her waist and held her so carefully. He leaned in before continuing, “One more thing, Marinette?”

She sensed his serious tone and pulled her leg back, electing to instead shimmy closer. Their noses were almost touching as she replied, “Yeah, Adrien?”

“I can’t be on top during sex yet.” Adrien smiled and he watched Marinette turn all shades of red. He laughed maniacally as she tried to twist away, the embarrassment evident on her face, “Oh, Marinette, don’t worry, I’ll be able to soon. I’ll talk to the doctors next week and ask what that timeline looks like.”

He leaned over her a little, relishing the tortured joy across Marinette’s face. She sharply looked back at him, and that was the only warning before she tumbled them over, gently, slowly, so deliberately that he could’ve stopped her at any second. He didn’t want to, he wanted to see where she put him and stay there as long as she deemed fit.

He didn’t speak as he was rolled onto his back, but he gasped when she swung her leg over and straddled him. She leaned back far enough for her hair to fall in waves down her back, but not enough that he couldn’t still see her face from the angle he was at. Her hands on his chest were hot enough to brand him, he was sure of it.

“Cat got your tongue, Agreste?” Her voice was low and he melted under her again and again.

“Marinette,” Adrien half-laughed, “Are you trying to kill me?”

Making her laugh was going to be his saving grace. That sultry persona got cut to pieces by the burst of laughter from her mouth. She had the widest smile as she eased off him.

“Go shave,” she chided, giving him a peck anyway.

“As the lady wishes,” Adrien gave her a quick kiss back. The giggle it pulled from her made him want to kiss her until she was a laughing, heaving mess in his arms.

“Adrien!” Her hands were pulling him back by his chin, her palm pressing against his neck.

“Sorry, I’ll be good.” He promised.

“Shoo, you’re worse than a stray.” She jumped off the bed and ushered him to the door, “and come back here right after. I’m not done with you yet.” 

“Oh,” Adrien replied. He hurried to the bathroom, praying Nino stayed asleep as he got to shaving the stubble across his face.

Nino flipped a crepe off the pan when Adrien wandered into the kitchen.

“At least you two had enough sense not to come in here together.” Nino laughed, “I should call Alya, maybe we’ll get back together again. We could double date.”

“Shut up, Nino,” Marinette elbowed them on her way to the fridge. One hand was using a towel to dry her hair, the other fished a carton of juice from the shelf. She poured it into three glasses, “We’ll revamp your dating profile after breakfast.”

“You shut up. We’ll shut your dating profile down after breakfast.” Nino shot back, pouring the last of the batter onto the pan.

“You have a dating profile?” Adrien peeked up at Marinette as she passed him a cup of grapefruit juice.

“Had.” Marinette shook her head as Nino snickered in the background, “Grab some forks, I’ll grab the crepes.”

Marinette took the plate of crepes and carried it over to the table. They sat around dishes of cream and an assortment of cut fruit. Adrien piled them into his crepes and they were overfilled and perfect at the same time. He laughed when Nino and Marinette roasted him for getting it all wrong and he tried to remember a morning he loved more than this one.

Marinette went to wash the dishes, so Adrien leaned against the counter with a hand towel ready. He wiped them dry and put them away as Marinette scrubbed away under the steaming hot water.

“There’s more that I can’t do, not yet.” Adrien admitted as he polished a plate.

“What do you mean?” Marinette tore her eyes away from the sink to look up at him.

“I need to enroll in physical therapy. I can’t go for a run or walk up too many steps. They said I was doing well, recovery I mean. But it’s still, I’m not yet at 100%. Adrien was breathing in careful breaths. He didn’t have the right words to describe this, he wasn’t doing this right, he was scaring her away.

“Hey,” Marinette shut the water off, turning to face him, “You’re ok. I want to help, I’m here for you Adrien. I’m with you in this, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand, “Thank you.” His voice was stern but he could feel his body shake.

“Of course. Let’s stay inside and watch another film, how does that sound? I want to watch something scary again.” Marinette pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and he could cry with the weight of her tender affection.

Adrien nodded and picked up the last plate in the pile, “Thank you, Marinette.” Adrien said softly.

“Anytime, Adrien.” Marinette wiped the sink down before shutting the water off. “Come to bed?”

Adrien loved those words, he loved this time with Marinette. He loved this warmth that grew out of the cold. He didn’t shake at night, he no longer mourned what was lost. He held Marinette and laughed with Nino and he felt at home, at last.


	8. oh i could feel the change a’comin, saw it staring right back at me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> title from "past life" by maggie rogers

Marinette debated the half updo her hair was currently in. If she sat down and pulled her hair into a full bun, she could look too uptight. Her fringe was too long now for a ponytail, and her hair would frizz if she didn’t hold it down in some way. Maybe she should just pin some pieces back.

“You’re going to be late.” Nino shocked her out of the trance she put herself in with the vanity mirror.

“I need to look nice enough for an interview with my boyfriend’s dad’s company, and look casual enough for his housewarming party.” Marinette frowned at her reflection.

“Just change your lipstick. The _Gabriel_ interview is a formality anyway.” Nino leaned against the doorframe and watched as Marinette fussed over her makeup.

“Until I see an offer on the table, I’m not getting my hopes up.” Marinette shuffled through all the lipsticks in the drawer, “I’ll go neutral for _Gabriel_ , and a darker rustic red for Adrien.”

“One for the father, one for the son” Nino laughed.

“Shut up, Nino.” Marinette snorted. She was secretly grateful for Nino’s interruption. The tense knot in her stomach loosened and she tried to accept Nino’s words as truth.

The board was thoroughly impressed with her portfolio, their words. They already had a number of phone interviews, but this would be the first time that they saw her in-person.

And then there was the matter of Adrien, the son of the late founder, the person whom she was trying to replace, effectively. If she took this very public position, would she always be in the shadow of what would no doubt be speculation over _how_ she got this position? Adrien did send her contact information, but she worked hard without him to get here. Hell, she hasn’t told him anything about this process since he sent her email over and he hasn’t asked.

Marinette sighed, the knot back in her stomach and a million worries spinning around her head. She put on her lipstick, threw both into her bag, and hauled it over one shoulder as she made her way out. It was too late to back out now.

One new development that Marinette was unexpectedly happy with was the restoration of her social media accounts. Once she got to posting, it was clear her followers were happy to have her back. She was again, gaining a following and her posts were flooded with comments talking about her return. She even saw an article mentioning her return floating around Twitter. It was strange to take up this space in an online context, but she had to remind herself that was how she got here in the first place.

She snapped a picture of her outfit, a black dress with a chunky sweater over it, in the reflection of the company mirror and posted it with the caption “business”. She planned on posting the party-ready outfit, the dress had a low cut top and once she switched her lipstick, she’d look like a completely different person.

For now, she dropped her phone into her bag and steeled herself for this interview.

Marinette didn’t bother waiting until she was in a bathroom or somewhere private to rip the sweater off of her body.

_Thank you for your continued interest in_ Gabriel.

She wished they sent a pre-canned email instead of making her sit through her own rejection.

_We think there are other positions that might be more on par for your level of experience._

She shoved the sweater into her bag as she stormed down the street. She opened her phone and sent a quick text to Alya.

_How did you even know the late Gabriel Agreste anyways?_

The implication of that last question was not lost on Marinette, but she almost wished it was. She took a deep breath and stepped into the restaurant Alya suggested they meet before Adrien’s party.

“Not to be dramatic,” Marinette took a long sip from her third glass of wine, “But I really think life has it out for me.”

“That’s not true and you _know_ it.” Alya shot back from across the table. Alya came in ten minutes after, her skirt was short enough to show off her long legs and the top was a flowy blouse that kept flouncing with every dramatic move that Alya made.

“I’m sorry, I just, I don’t know. I thought this was my happy ending.” Marinette shook her head. She refused to cry in the restaurant and ruin her make-up.

“Don’t apologize, but you gotta realize life is not going to stop hurling these screwballs at you.” Alya took an equal sip from her glass of white, “I always think it’ll be ok, and then another family member turns out to have _something_ wrong. There will always be tumors and car crashes and you’re stuck thinking, is this it?”

“God, I’m sorry, your mom wasn’t it?” Marinette tried to dig up the ugly details from the depths of her mind.

“If we talk about it, I’m going to cry.” Alya half-laughed, “Look, I’m not trying to make this a contest, because suffering isn’t quantifiable. But you’ve got to strike a balance and know that there will always be new opportunities.”

“Alya, ever the wisest and most charismatic person in the room. That’s why they put you on the big screen.” Marinette held her wine glass up to the woman before her.

“That’s for movies. But yes, I will admit my job is very good.” Alya smiled as she downed the rest of her glass. “All I need is a good girlfriend and I’d be set.”

“Maybe if we push our energies out we can manifest what we need for each other, does that make any sense to you?” Marinette started to mumble as she realized her long winded sentences were starting to sound like nonsense to her own ears.

“We’re overcomplicating this!” Alya sighed, slamming her glass down and opening her phone. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh my god, this is just like you to make a plan when we’re drunk.” Marinette was glad the waiters long since whisked away their dishes. She’d be too embarrassed by their constant presence otherwise.

“Take this, make my dating profile.” Alya passed her phone over to Marinette, “And give me your phone.”

“Hello, did you miss the part of the conversation earlier where I told you I’m in a happy relationship with my childhood crush?”

“Hello, I’m going to finish setting up your online store.” Alya rolled her eyes, “You said you started right?”

Marinette fished her phone out of her bag, fumbling around the pullover she had on earlier, “You have the easy job, I’m almost done with it. But I’m only agreeing because my inhibitions are drunk. If I wake up tomorrow I might delete it.” Marinette was slurring her words but she didn’t care.

“If I can get a date, you can get an order,” and with that, Alya nabbed Marinette’s phone.

Marinette thanked the gods above for autocorrect. She tried to inhabit the mind of Alya, funny and witty and passionate. She answered each question and even picked out a few solid pictures from her camera roll. It was all good and well until she saw a reminder on Alya’s phone.

“Oh shit, we gotta go.” Marinette saved what she had so far and passed the device back to Alya, “How is it this late already?”

“Do you not have a calendar on your phone?” Alya shot back, “How are you on time for anything?”

“I’m not,” Marinette downed her drink and stood up, “Wait, did we pay?”

“I did, now shut up and go.”

“Wait, Alya.” Marinette protested but Alya already shoved the woman to her feet. “Damn it, Alya, let me pay you back at least.”

“They don’t just put me on TV, they pay me the big bucks too, don’t forget that,” was all Alya replied with before she hauled them down the street.

Adrien’s apartment was only two blocks from her apartment, but it might as well have been a different city. Although the space was not much bigger than her own, this was clearly for one person. His kitchen had an island, the walls had exposed brick, and the ceiling was so high. In comparison, Nino and Marinette’s apartment looked like a shoebox.

Adrien thankfully stayed close the entire time, looping his arm with her’s or even pressing his face against the crown of her head. He broke away occasionally but always came back.

As the crowd died down, she promised to explain later why she was in a mood. He answered with a kiss to her cheek. She almost cried right then and there.

“Oh,” Marinette looked down at her phone, curled up against Adrien’s side. After everyone left, she cried as Adrien held her on the couch. He rubbed circles into her shoulder until she calmed down. The two were half lying on top of each other now, talking about nothing.

“What is it?” Adrien tightened his hold on her waist.

“I wasn’t looking at it all night. Alya posted my store earlier.” Marinette pointed at the website on her phone to him.

“That’s great, you’ve been meaning to post it again, right?”

“Just a few things to start, what I thought I could handle as one person.” Marinete could feel tears pricking the corner of her eyes, “Everything sold out already.”

Adrien grabbed her shoulders, “Marinette, that’s great news,” He was smiling so wide and her vision started swimming, “Oh no, Marinette. Are you crying? What’s wrong?”

“I finally have it, right now at least.” She was a mess as she spoke. Marinette pushed up to hug Adrien, “I’m so happy right now.”

“I’m so happy for you. Marinette, this is so good. I’m so proud of you.”

She laughed and sobbed as she buried her face into Adrien’s neck. 

She managed to pulled back, rubbing the tears out of her face with her palms. “Adrien, I love you so much.”

She never said it so explicitly before. She said it in her mind while they kissed, in his hair as he slept, in the meals that they cooked together. She wished she said it sooner so she could see the red of his skin under those wide green eyes.

“I love you so, so much,” Adrien kissed her and spoke against her lips, “Love you, Marinette.”

Her hands found his cheeks and she brought them closer. “Thank you, Adrien.”

“For what?” He said, his lips swollen and his eyes so focused on her.

She shook her head, patting him down with her hands, “For being here,” Marinette smiled, “for staying.”

“Always, Marinette. I’m always here for you.” Adrien smiled back. She leaned in to kiss him again and he met her halfway. Marinette willed this moment to last forever, with Adrien in her arms and the future firm in her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tysm for taking the time to read this, i rly do appreciate it !!!! hope everyone has a wonderful xmas


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